Delaware the US state with the fastest broadband

A study by Akamai reports that the US states with the fastest broadband rates aren’t the most populated ones such as California or New York. It’s not even Washington State, where I live. Instead, it’s a few surprising states: Delaware, followed by Rhode Island. Delaware has an average speed of 20.4 Mbps, while Rhode Island has 19.1. In third among US states is Massachusetts, with 18.6.

Of note is the fastest broadband state in the country isn’t a state at all… rather, it’s the District of Columbia. Washington, DC has an average speed of 21.3 Mbps.

After Rhode Island on that list is Massachusetts, the first actual US state listed that has a major city.

Of course, compared to other countries, the US’ broadband state is rather anemic. And with mergers like Charter and Time Warner Cable, plus Comcast’s entrenched state and telcos lobbying governments, that’s not likely to change anytime soon. It’s also interesting that the leaders are nearly all grouped along the east coast, plus Utah and Washington State. Not California, the most populated state in the country, and the home of Silicon Valley? Or the midwest, including Illinois (home of Chicago)?